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Idea #2: Wireless Access Metrics for All Carriers

Idea

Create a website that show consumers what real world access is like for wireless telephone carriers across the United States (and potentially the globe). Now when users decide to shop for a new carrier, perhaps because they’ve moved, or because their contract has expired, they can pick the one that performs best for them in their area. It should allow users to upload real-time and historical data about signal quality, dropped calls, bandwidth tests, and service plans.

Problem Statement

Seemingly a problem across all wireless carriers, consumers complain about the quality of their experience using wireless carriers. Dropped calls, bad signal pocket areas, and the inability to use their phone in or near their homes entirely. This problem exists across all carriers in all regions. However, there are a lot of consumers who like their service for certain carriers in certain regions. The quality of such signals seems to vary on a personal level, and are caused by a variety of factors, such as: density of population using the technology, buildings reflecting signals, buildings containing metal meshes, quality of the phone itself, deployment of technology by the service provider, and wireless tower placement. There is a market for consumers who are looking for consistent wireless service, and want to be able to easily determine this without having to discover this themselves.

Market

Consumers and businesses who are looking for more consistent, useful, and advanced wireless services in their particular region and regions that they travel to. The market is not restricted by device or region, as it applies to all wireless consumers, everywhere, as this is a universal problem.

Revenue Strategy

Wireless Service Provider Referral Fees & Kickbacks

Data Partnerships (cellular web stores can integrate the metrics data via a web service, so that they can inform their users which service is best for them based on their criteria)

Advertising & Sponsorship

Consumer Subscription (like a magazine or known consumer watchdog website, charge to access this information)

Feasibility

Highly feasible through use of automated applications that run on user devices. Some information is subjective, such as dropped calls (as of right now, it is not easy to automatically track dropped calls, so you would have to rely on user’s opinions). Information such as signal strength is different on each device, and the server software processing these submissions would need to take that into account so that the data is normalized and averaged properly. In order to increase usage of the automated tools, users should receive some form of compensation, such as telling them that this information will be used to improve service for their area by increasing awareness.